At this announcement all looked at each other with added alarm showing in their faces. A pest ship! The idea filled them with horror.
"If it's that—and we've caught the fever" began Tom.
"Oh, I vish I vos home, oder at school!" groaned Hans, beginning to shake from head to foot. "Of ve catch der yellow fefer ve peen all teat in a veek!"
For several seconds there was silence, then Dick walked down the last step of the companionway and threw the door below open with a bang.
"I am going to find out what this means," muttered the eldest Rover. "If we are to catch the fever, maybe we've got it already." And he walked into the cabin, and one after another the others followed.
All was in as good order as on deck. On the table lay several books and magazines, one opened and turned face downward as if just placed there.
"Somebody has been reading," murmured Sam. "What did he stop for?" He picked up the magazine and read the heading of one of the articles, "Famous Suicides of Modern History." "Ugh! what delightful literature to read. Just the thing for the young ladies' department of a public library!"
